Daniel Siegel, author of No-Drama Discipline.
Topic: Calming the chaos and nurturing your child’s developing mind.Issues: how to identify your discipline philosophy; best ways to communicate the lessons you want to teach; facts on brain development and what kind of discipline is appropriate for each age; how to calmly and lovingly connect with a child—no matter how extreme the behavior; navigating your child through tantrums; discipline mistakes we all make.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way for Parents.
Topic: Raising creative children.Issues: Awaken your children’s sense of wonder–and reawaken your own in the process; help your children turn their passions into art; encouraging self-expression; replenishing your own creative stores while nurturing those of your children; cultivate a lifelong passion for creativity and the creative process.

Laurence Steinberg, author of Age of Opportunity.
Topic: Lessons from the new science of adolescence.Issues: Why adolescence lasts three times longer than it did back in the 1950s; the adolescent brain is still developing–and growing; how adolescents think; protecting adolescents from themselves; the importance of self-regulation; how can parents make a difference; are adolescents legally responsible for their behavior?

Tim Hollister, author of Not So Fast.
Topic: Parenting your teen through the dangers of drivingIssues: How brain development affects driving; what driver’s ed doesn’t produce safe drivers; how and why to prepare a “flight

Dear Mr. Dad: I’ve always resented my mother and thought she was a lousy parent. I saw only her negative side and was extremely critical and judgmental. But now that I’m a new mom myself, I see her in a different light and realize that her intentions were good. How do I make up for all the grief I’ve caused?

A: When it comes to admitting one’s mistakes and trying to make amends, being late is always better than never.

As children—and especially as teenagers and young adults—we tend to see our parents as too strict and old-fashioned. Close your eyes for a second and think back on how often you screamed things like, “I hate you!” or You just don’t understand me” or “I will never, ever be a parent like you!” Five times a day? More? All of us dream of having cool parents, the kind who would give us the freedom to act as we want, never interfere or criticize, never tell us what to do or impose rules. With criteria like that, it’s no wonder that the vast majority of moms and dads will fail miserably—at least in the eyes of their children.